Panayiotou, 28, who has lodged two failed attempts at bail, is accused of orchestrating the murder of his wife, schoolteacher Jayde, in April. He has pleaded not guilty. In a judgment yesterday, Port Elizabeth High Court Judge John Smith said: “His [Panayiotou’s] assertion that the refusal impacts his constitutional right to a fair trial is at best speculative.
“In addition, very little is said in the applicant’s papers to justify his request on this ground.
“Instead, upon closer scrutiny, it becomes apparent that it is really the perceived undue delay in allocating a trial date that is the real cause of complaint.”
